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Hold VA chief accountable

By The Denver Post Editorial Board

Posted:
05/07/2014 05:39:01 PM MDT

A man visits the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Fort Collins on May 5. Employees at the clinic were instructed to falsify records to make it appear that patients were getting appointments close to the day requested, government investigators said. (AP Photo/The Coloradoan, Erin Hull)

Allegations that U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employees falsified records to hide scheduling delays are not limited to a Fort Collins clinic.

It seems there may be a broader directive at work, as evidenced by similar accusations coming out of VA facilities in Texas. And in Arizona, 40 veterans died allegedly while waiting for appointments after being put on a secret wait list.

Add to the mix indefensible delays and cost-overruns in constructing VA hospitals in Aurora and other places, and there becomes a serious leadership question.

We are not persuaded by the White House's confident proclamation that VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has the ability to manage this sprawling agency. If these allegations are true — and they are in various stages of being investigated — Shinseki ought to go.

The cost overruns at the VA hospital in Aurora are so large, for example, that they raise fundamental questions about whether VA officials engaged in good-faith efforts to bring the project in on budget.

At the very least, they call into question the basic competence of high-level managers.

Meanwhile, the accusations involving scheduling practices at VA medical facilities go not only to quality of care, but the integrity of management as well.

Take, for example, the specific allegations at the Fort Collins VA clinic. Last year, clerks were told to fake records so it seemed that the medical staff was able to see patients within the agency's goal of 14 days, according to a VA Office of Medical Inspector report.

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On Tuesday, the Austin-American Statesman published a story saying a scheduling clerk accused VA officials in Austin and San Antonio of tampering with appointment data to hide delays.

There is no doubt that managing the VA is a very challenging task, but if these allegations are true, it's also clear that the administration will need to move quickly to find someone who is up to the job.